Accra: Engineer and analyst Michael Kosi Dedey has highlighted that Ghana's ongoing transport and congestion issues stem from inadequate spatial planning rather than a deficiency in infrastructure. Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV, Dedey emphasized that unless proper planning is prioritized, the country will continue to incur substantial expenses on transport infrastructure.
According to Ghana Web, Dedey explained that all aspects of national development are interconnected, making spatial planning crucial for sustainable growth. He asserted that without proper planning, nothing in the country would function effectively. Dedey argued that many of the interchanges being developed could have been avoided with better initial planning of towns and cities.
Dedey elaborated that adequate city planning guides residential development and eliminates the need for costly engineering projects to address congestion from unplanned growth. He expressed concern about new developments near bypasses, warning that these would lead to new congestion issues. He cited the example of developments near a bypass around Nkawkaw, predicting future demands for additional interchanges due to such practices.
Highlighting weak planning and insufficient long-term vision, Dedey remarked that this lack of foresight continually hampers the country's progress. He stressed that without proper spatial planning, Ghana's transport challenges could not be addressed through directives or negotiations alone. Dedey concluded that the absence of strategic planning would only exacerbate existing problems, despite attempts to resolve them through governmental or operational measures.